What's on tap for Lehigh Valley Beer Week

Do you enjoy an occasional craft beer and trying different things? Or maybe you're into firkins and randalizers?

Whether you're a casual drinker or a full-fledged beer geek (you know who you are), the third annual Lehigh Valley Beer Week has something for you.

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Lehigh Valley Beer Week kicks off Sunday, Feb. 15, and runs through Feb. 22 at more than 70 breweries, restaurants, distributors and bars from Allentown to Easton. That's double the number from last year, says Jesse Albertson, president of Lehigh Valley Beer Week and general manager of Fegley's Brew Works.

Craft beer is huge across the country and particularly in Pennsylvania, which is one of 13 states that has more than 100 craft breweries. About 14 regional breweries, including local powerhouses Weyerbacher (Easton) and Fegley's Brew Works (Allentown), are participating as well as newcomers Funk Brewing Co. (Emmaus) and HiJinx Brewing (Allentown).

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"Craft beer is exploding," Alberston says. "Every new restaurant in the Valley has a huge craft beer list and it wasn't like that five or 10 years ago."

Organizers at participating venues have spent weeks posting their plans on Lehigh Valley Beer Week's calendar at lehighvalleybeerweek.com. There are special tappings, food pairings, beer dinners, live music events, brewing classes and appearances by craft beer experts.

The week officially kicks off with a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at Allentown Brew Works, featuring the first tapping of LVBW3 Imperial IPA. The beer was crafted from the recipe of Center Valley home-brewer Jim Yergey, who won Lehigh Valley Beer Week's Be Our Brewer For a Day Competition in August. That win earned him the honor to have his beer featured on tap at participating venues. LVBW3 has a strong malt backbone with a sharp bitterness you expect in an Imperial IPA.

"Having the opportunity to kick off beer week with the tapping of my beer is very exciting," says Yergey, who has been home-brewing for about 20 years. "It's going to be a wild week of fun for me."

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Speaking of fun, a number of local bars and restaurants are planning events pairing their spotlighted beers with live music. (What goes better with a cold beer than live local music?)

Allentown Brew Works will host "Local Brews, Local Tunes" 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. There will be music in Silk Lounge with Lehigh Valley bands Trouble City All Stars, Horse, Voir Voir and Goat Wizard along with locally crafted brews on draft and in bottles. ($10 per person.)

"Blues, Brews and BBQ" is coming to The Trapp Door Gastropub in Emmaus 6:30-9:30 on Monday, Feb. 16, featuring local harmonica player James Supra and Andy Killcoyne. (Plus the menu will feature items like chipotle potato salad, smoked pork, honey cornbread and ribs.)

Other venues have other fun and truly original events to keep you entertained during Lehigh Valley Beer Week.

Roosevelt's 21st of Bethlehem will host "Great vs. Evil — Trivia and Beer Pong" at 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16. Facing off: Great Lakes Brewing Co. against Evil Genius Beer Co. You'll also get the chance to sample beer, and take part in beer trivia and beer pong. Bethlehem Brew Works will host "Are You Smarter than a Beer Rep?" 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18. Compete against a team of seasoned beer professionals and see how much you know about beer.

In the mood for a parade? Downtown Easton will be the site once again for the "Beermuda Triangle Krewe de Brew Mardi Gras Parade," 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. Black & Blue, Porter's Pub and Two Rivers Brewing Co. are again hosting the parade and pub crawl. You can come early and get a free commemorative pint glass at one of three locations and pitch in to help with float construction, which starts at 2 p.m. Costumes are recommended.

The parade will assemble at 3 p.m. on Seventh between Walnut and Washington, proceed down Seventh to Northampton, make a right on Northampton, make a right on Walnut, make a right on Seventh Street and repeat.

If dining is more your thing, loads of restaurants are planning special beer pairings and dinners, including Wegmans Pub, Hamilton Kitchen in Allentown, Burgers and More by Emeril, Emeril's Chop House and Emeril's Italian Table in Bethlehem, and Leaf Cigar Bar in Easton.

So, you might be wondering, "What's a firkin?" It's a type of keg that's used to produce "cask-conditioned ale," or beer that is naturally carbonated, because the beer is put in the sealed cask, or firkin, before fermentation is complete.

If you're into firkins, the brewing process and meeting top brewmasters, Lehigh Valley Beer Week has plenty to quench your thirst, too.

One of the country's top brewmasters, Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery, will be part of a dinner and beer-pairing at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Wegmans in Allentown. Founded in 1988, The Brooklyn Brewery is one of the foremost craft breweries in the world, currently ranking ninth in volume in the U.S.

"Garrett Oliver is a god in the beer community," Albertson says. "He's one of the top three most well-known brewmasters. That's a huge deal."

If want to learn how to brew beer yourself, check out the "All-Grain Brewing Class" at Keystone Homebrew Supply in Bethlehem 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15. Cost is $75 and you'll learn how to make a version of LVBW3.

Numerous venues plan to hold special tappings to get a taste of some truly original local craft beer.

"They will be busting out their rare beers that have been aging," Albertson says.

Pearly Baker's in Easton will have its "Evil Wing and Randalizer Night" 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Luke Bowen, co-owner of Evil Genius Beer Co., will serve one of his brews through a randalizer, a tap filter that infuses flavors into beer, ranging from fruit to port-soaked oak chips.

Allentown Brew Works also will feature tappings of two of its award-winning and most sought after beers: Arctic Alchemy, which won a gold medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival (5-8 p.m. Thursday), and Berliner Weiss, which won its second bronze medal in 2014 (5-7 p.m. Tuesday). These are beers you can't get often.

No matter how you decide to mark Lehigh Valley Beer Week, there's something for you.

"Brewery Tour and Tasting with Brewer Josh Bushey," 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Bethlehem Brew Works, 569 Main St.: Bethlehem Brew Works Head Brewer Josh Bushey will take you on a free tour of the brewery at 6 p.m., followed by a complimentary tasting. Info: 610-882-1300 or email events@thebrewworks.com.

•"I Hop'solutely Love You," 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton St. The Allentown Public Theatre will present its 2nd annual "I Hop'solutely Love You," while The Brew Works will also have its own "Beerly Beloved Gameshow" featuring some special guests from the Valley. There will also be a $4 special on Fegley's Hop'solutely Triple IPA. Cost: $10. Proceeds benefit the theater. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Info: 610-433-7777

• "Smokin' in the Biergarten," 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Allentown Brew Works - 812 Hamilton St.: To mark the end of Lehigh Valley Beer Week, you can come have a cigar outside in the restaurant's heated tent and enjoy Fegley's Brew Works "Up in Smoke Rauchbock," and a special menu of smoked dishes. Info: 610-433-7777.